How Many Cats Can Use One Litter Box?

Cats are amazing pets – funny, cuddly, clean, and just a bit mischievous. Although they are quite social animals as well, kitties can get quite territorial when it comes to their litter boxes, so the question we are here to answer is: can they share their toilet with other felines or should we abort this mission even before it begins?

Read this post to learn all about feline toilet sharing habits and find out how many cats can use one litter box.

Main Factors

Whether your cats will be able to share their litter box hinges on two main factors – the temperament of your pets and the type of litter box you have chosen for the job.Overly aggressive and territorial cats usually require a separate litter box intended just for them. If you try to make them share, they will cause a bunch of problems dictated by their natural instincts, including spraying the outside walls of the box with urine, leaving their poop or pee uncovered, and eliminating outside the box.

When it comes to litter boxes, they come in all shapes and sizes, featuring traditional or motorized cleaning cycles, open or covered designs, and many other traits and characteristics. Some of them are specifically designed to accommodate multiple cats, either by offering additional space in the litter area or by implementing a self-cleaning cycle that sifts through the litter every time a single cat does his or her business.

Usual Recommendations

Veterinarians and feline experts recommend using at least 1.5 litter boxes per cat (rounded up), so if you have one cat, you should buy two litter boxes, three for two cats, and so on. However, this is a bit of an exaggeration as one litter box per cat is quite enough for ultimate comfort and happiness.

Some experts also point out that cats are super clean and do not like overused litter boxes. On top of that, they also claim that kitties do not tolerate the scent of another cat in their toilet.

Having said that, it is not uncommon for two or more cats to share one good litter box without any confrontations. This brings us back to our previous point regarding the temperament of your pets – if your cats are accustomed to each other, they will probably not mind sharing.

Best Litter Boxes For Two Or More Cats

In order to avoid any potential problems with different scents and waste coming from multiple cats, you should opt for a motorized self-cleaning cat litter box. These litter boxes are designed to sense the presence of your cats as they walk in and out of the litter area and initiate a cleaning cycle on their own once the tray is empty.

Apart from keeping the litter clean and fresh at all times, automatic self-cleaning litter boxes also implement a wide variety of safety measures designed to keep your cat away from any harm. Most of the renowned models come with a reliable failsafe that stops the cleaning cycle the moment it senses your cat is back in the box or when the aperture encounters any resistance.

Finally, they also come with convenient full-seal waste receptacles that will keep your cats from smelling any waste whatsoever.